2010 Alfa Romeo 147 wheel torque

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
114
MOVING THE CAR
With the engine on and the car stationary,
the gears that can be engaged for moving
off are only first (1), second (2) and/or
reverse (R).
To shift gears, keep the brake pedal
pressed and use only the lever on the cen-
tre console since the stalks on the steering
wheel can be only operated if the car speed
exceeds 10 km/h.IMPORTANTReverse gear (R) can be
engaged from any of the following other ra-
tios: neutral (N), first (1) or second (2).
If the car is moving, the request is not ac-
cepted, it is necessary to wait for the car
to stop completely and request the en-
gagement of reverse again (R).
The driver is informed of the reverse gear
engaged condition by the reconfigurable
multifunction display on the instrument clus-
ter and by the intermittent sound of a
buzzer.
IMPORTANTIf when shifting from re-
verse (R)➞first (1) or neutral (N)➞first
(1) sticking occurs on first gear, the system
automatically engages second gear (2).
This is not to be considered as a fault as it
is part of the operating logic. For the same
reason, in the case of sticking on reverse
gear, the system partially closes the clutch
to allowgear engagement; in this case the
engagement of reverse gear (R) will not be
as smooth as usual.Moving off of the car is obtained:
1) releasing the brake pedal;
2) gradually pressing the accelerator pedal.
The more the accelerator is pressed the
higher the pickup torque.
When the ASR system is off (through the
relevant ASR OFF button) max pickup is ob-
tained (“sprint" starting)
It is absolutely necessary
to turn off the engine and
then turn off the Selespeed system
keeping the brake pedal pressed:
ONLY release the pedal when the
reconfigurable multifunction display
on the cluster has gone out.
WARNING
After a request to shift
gear with the car station-
ary, before pressing the accelera-
tor pedal to make the car move,
the driver must always check the
display to see that the gear en-
gaged is the one required.
WARNING

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
115
WARNINGS
– With the car stopped and a gear en-
gaged always keep the brake pedal pressed
until deciding to move off;
– during prolonged halts with the engine
running it is advisable to keep the gearbox in
neutral;
– when the car is parked facing uphill, do
not use the moving off manoeuvre to keep
the car still; use the brake pedal and press
the accelerator pedal only when deciding to
move off;
– use second gear onlywhen more con-
trol is needed for moving off manoeuvres at
low speed;
– if, in reverse gear, first gear is engaged
or vice versa, shift gear only when the car
is stopped completely and with the brake
pedal pressed.
Though highly unadvisable, if when trav-
elling downhill for some unexpected reason
the car is set to neutral (N), when the en-
gagement of a gear is requested the system
automatically engages the best gear in re-
lation to the speed of the car to allow the
correct transmission of torque to the wheels.When travelling downhill with a gear en-
gaged and the accelerator released (if the
vehicle is moving), beyond a pre-established
speed, the system engages the clutch au-
tomatically to give the car adequate engine
braking.
For safety reasons the Selespeed system
activates the buzzer when:
– clutch overheating occurs while the ve-
hicle is being started; in this case it is nec-
essary to “force” starting avoiding hesita-
tion or, if the car is on a slope, release the
accelerator and use the brake pedalto stop
the car;
– the car moves in the opposite direction
to the gear engaged, (e.g.: it moves for-
wards with reverse gear engaged; in this sit-
uation it is necessary to stop the car and en-
gage the correct gear, keeping the brake
pedal pressed.
Still due to safety reasons, with the car sta-
tionary, the engine running and gear (1),
(2) or (R) engaged, the system activates
the buzzer and automatically shifts to neu-
tral (N) when:
– no action is made on the accelerator
and/or brake pedals for at least 3 minutes;
– the brake is pressed for over 10 minutes;
– the driver’s door is opened and the ac-
celerator and brake are not touched for at
least 1 second.
STOPPING THE CAR
To stop the car, simply release the accel-
erator pedal and, if necessary press the
brake pedal.
Regardless of the gear engaged and the
operating mode activated (MANUALor
CITY) the system automatically disengages
the clutch and shifts to a lower gear.
If deciding to move off again without hav-
ing stopped the car completely, the most
suitable ratio will be available for acceler-
ating again.
Stopping the car the system automatical-
ly engages first gear (1).

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
116fig. 105
A0A0098m
fig. 104
A0A0097m
fig. 106
A0A0096m
OPERATION
The gearbox can work in two operating
modes:
– the first is semiautomatic (MANUAL),
in which the driver directly decides when to
shift gear.
– the second is completely automatic
(CITY), in which the system decides di-
rectly when to shift gear according to the
type of driving.
TheCITYmode can be selected by press-
ing the specific button CITYon the gearbox
lever knob; when this mode is selected, the
CITY sign appears on the display.
SEMIAUTOMATIC OPERATION
(MANUAL)
In the operating mode, the reconfigurable
multifunction display on the cluster shows
the gear engaged.
In this operating mode, the decision to
change gear is left to the driver who decides
the most appropriate moment.
The requests to change gear may take
place through:
– the control lever on the centre console
(A-fig. 104);
– steering wheel stalks (fig. 105),
which can be operated only when the car
speed exceeds 2 km/h.TheMANUALoperating mode is set
when, with the CITYmode selected, the
CITYbutton(A-fig. 106) is pressed
again, excluding the previously selected
mode.
When changing gear it is not necessary
to release the accelerator pedal because the
Selespeed system directly controls the en-
gine in such a way as to:
– reduce and then increase engine torque;
– adapt the engine speed to the latest
gear engaged.
When downshifting, the engine is accel-
erated automatically to bring it to the speed
necessary with the new gear ratio.
The neutral command (N) is accepted un-
til the vehicle speed exceeds 40 km/h. The
reverse gear engagement command (R) is
accepted only if the vehicle is stationary.

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
136
VDC SYSTEM
(Vehicle Dynamics Control)
The VDC is an electronic system that con-
trols vehicle stability, intervening on the dri-
ving torque and braking the wheels in a dif-
ferentiated manner, in the lack of grip, it
helps to bring the car back to the correct
direction.
When travelling the car is subjected to lat-
eral and longitudinal forces which can be
controlled by the driver as long as the tyres
offer adequate roadholding; when this falls
below the minimum level, the car begins
to divert from the course required by the dri-
ver.
Especially when travelling on an uneven
surface (such as paving, or due to the pres-
ence of water, ice or soil), changes in speed
(acceleration or braking) and/or course
(bends or the need to avoid obstacles) may
cause the tyres to lose grip.
When the sensors detect the conditions
that would lead to skidding, the VDC system
intervenes on the engine and on the brakes
producing a stabilising torque.
HOW THE VDC
SYSTEM WORKS
The VDC system is engaged automatical-
ly when the car is started and cannot be
switched off.
The basic components of the VDC system
are:
– an electronic control unit that process-
es the signals received from the various sen-
sors and brings about the most appropriate
strategy;
– a sensor that detects the position of the
steering wheel;
– four sensors that detect the turning
speed of each wheel;
– a sensor that detects rotation of the car
around its vertical axis;
– a sensor that detects lateral acceleration
(centrifugal force).
The heart of the VDC system is the VDC
control unit, which with the data supplied
by the sensors installed on the car calculates
the centrifugal forces generated when the
car is cornering. The yawing sensor, which
originates from the aeronautical industry, de-
tects the rotations of the car around its own
vertical axis. The centrifugal forces gener-
ated when the car is cornering are detect-
ed by a highly sensitive lateral acceleration
sensor. The VDC system helps the driver to keep
the car under control in the event of a loss
of tyre grip.
The forced induced by the VDC system to
control the loss of vehicle stability always
depend on the grip between the tyre and
the road surface.
The performance of the
system, in terms of active
safety should not induce the driver
to take pointless and unnecessary
risks. The style of driving must in
any case always be adapted to the
conditions of the road surface, vis-
ibility and traffic. The responsibil-
ity for road safety is always and
in any case the driver’s.
WARNING